Code Red
by GreySwordDagger
Summary: Rita's latest plan to destroy the Power Rangers involves getting rid of Jason. She sends a beautiful woman who Jason falls for immediately, and she lures him into Rita's impenetrable Dark Maze. Will the other Rangers find Jason in time?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Finster!" called out the evil intergalactic witch, the infamous Rita Repulsa, as she made her way furiously towards a lab filled with clay sculptures that were only a few inches tall, and occupied by a large machine in the color of bronze. When she didn't get an answer after a couple of seconds, she violently slammed the bottom of her moon-like staff at the floor.

"You barked, your evilness?" a short being, who resembled a very white dog emerged from his working spot. He had a pair of glasses over his eyes, and a blue band wrapped around his forehead. He wore navy blue overall, hung by round metallic plates.

"Finster, I need you to make me a monster." Said Rita, as she looked through Finster's inventory, wiggling her fingers as if petting the clay sculptures.

"Well of course." Said Finster, as he stood by her and searched through another line of monsters, "Which should I make? An antelope that can shoot water? Or maybe a rhino that chews on cars? I know! A motorcycle that can penetrate a Ranger through his mouth and destroy him from the inside!"

"No, no, none of that!" growled Rita, "I want you to make me a monster that will annihilate Jason, the Red Ranger once and for all!"

Finster held his index finger high in the air, as he made a 180 turn on the spot, and walked back to his desk. He picked up an old, brown book and opened it. He quickly browsed through the book's pages, until he stopped at one of them. Finster then picked the book up and put it in front of his mistress. He pointed his index finger at one of the pictures, and said: "Do you remember King Sphinx?"

"How could I forget? That monster was a complete failure!" said Rita, and turned her head from the book, searching for an interesting monster somewhere around Finster's lab.

"Yes, but he also helped us realize the Red Ranger's greatest weakness: he's powerless when he's separated from the others!" said Finster, while rubbing both his hands together excitedly.

"Last time we tried that, his friends found him!" said Rita, dismissing his plan.

"True, but I have a plan that will work. Do you remember the Dark Maze?" asked Finster, as he browsed through his monster book once again.

Rita's eyes lit up as she recalled the Dark Maze. It was every villain's dream, a spot, caught between dimensions, built like a maze with only one way to get in and one way to get out. A maze filled with every trap and danger possible and impossible. The maze included thing so twisted that even Rita's evil mind couldn't think of. Every villain in the universe might have wanted the maze, but it was all Rita's. Last time she used it was possibly 12,000 years ago, with it she defeated Zordon's warriors on Golluck 22, and conquered the planet.

"Yes! Finster you're brilliant! The Dark Maze is exactly what we need." She said, ecstatic. "What are you waiting for? Create a monster that will lead the Red Ranger directly the Dark Maze!"

"Right away, your evilness." Replied Finster, as he grabbed a fresh piece of clay and a knife, and began giving shape to his new monsters.

"Once the Red Ranger is destroyed, the other Rangers will fall at my feet!" called out Rita, and laughed evilly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Girl in White

It was a fine day at Ernie's Juice Bar. Kimberly was doing her routine exercise at the balance beam, doing a handstand that would've made several old hearts stop beating. Trini was seating by a desk, working with Billy as the two discussed Billy's latest theory regarding gravity. Jason was teaching his karate class. Zack and Tommy were sitting by the bay. It began like any other ordinary day. But was it? Not by a long shot.

"Yo Ernie!" said Zack, as he finished up his water bottle and decided to grab something to eat.

Ernie, a highly overweight Samoan man wearing a red Hawaiian shirt was wiping a long, narrow glass when he heard Zack's call. Ernie was the owner and manager of the Juice Bar, and was also a good friend of the teens. "What can I get you Zack?"

Zack's eyes glittered a bit, as they lost focus. That sort of thing would happen to Zack whenever he began fantasizing on food. He then spoke, as if from within a dream: "I would like a large sized chocolate chip ice-cream, with a ball of vanilla and another of strawberry-banana. No, make it a ball of strawberry and a ball of banana. Put on a topping of blended nuts, and I'm not sure what to put on it… maybe molted chocolate or molted caramel. You know what? Put both. And… yeah, cherries, add some cherries."

Ernie had to use three pages to finish up writing down Zack's order. But that wasn't too unusual, Zack ordered such things from time to time. "Sure thing Zack."

Ernie returned several minutes later, carrying a tray big enough to hold a dinner for three. On the tray was a glass bowl almost as big as the tray, and in the bowl was Zack's reservation, filling it up. He gave Zack a spoon, and said: "Here you go."

"Man, no way. There's just no way you're going to eat all that." Said Tommy, looking, almost terrified, at Zack's tray.

Zack ignored him, grabbed the spoon and began digging in.

"Hey guys what's up?" asked Jason, as he approached the bar. He had just finished up the karate lesson for the week, and excused his students. He held his red towel, and wiped the sweat off his forehead and the back of his head.

"Nothing. It's just that Zack actually thinks he can eat that much." Said Tommy, still a bit uneasy with Zack's choice of dessert.

Jason wasn't too impressed. He merely gave a short look at Zack's bowl, "What? That small? I've seen him eat double that much once."

But then, Jason's mind dozed away, as a girl stepped into the Juice Bar. She wasn't very tall; she had a slim figure perfectly proportionate throughout her body. She had shoulder length straight brown hair, and brown eyes. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans, and a tight white T-shirt, covered by a beige jacket. She turned her head to look around, letting her hair bounce freely from one shoulder to the other, spreading a gorgeous smile around the Juice Bar. Jason just stood there, his jaw dropped.

"Jason? Hey Jase?" said Zack, waving his head in front of Jason's face. "Earth to Jason, Earth to Jason, do your hear me Jason?"

Jason kept staring at the girl, his mind was completely focused on her. When Zack put his hand in Jason's line of sight, he merely replied: "Be right with you", not removing his eyes from the girl.

----

Unknown to the teens, throughout all that time they were being watched by Rita Repulsa's telescope. She lowered the telescope and raced as fast as her staff could let her to Finster's lab. She grabbed Finster by the shoulder and raised him up in the air.

"Finster you're a genius! It works perfectly!" she said, excited.

After being lowered back to the ground, Finster put his hand on his forehead as if he had a fever. "Of course it does your evilness. She never let us down before."

Goldar, who stood all that time behind Rita, waved his sword furiously and said: "The Red Ranger will never see that coming!"

----

Several minutes later, back on Angel Grove. The girl has already next to one of the tables, and made herself by reading a book. Ernie stood by her side, taking her order. Jason has already taken a seat by Zack and Tommy. Billy, Trini and Kimbrly have already joined them. Jason was still having a hard time taking his eyes off that girl, but he managed to gather himself a bit. His feeling of dizziness turned into severe frustration, as he didn't know what to do or say.

"What are you waiting for man? Go talk to her." Said Tommy, pointing at her direction in a rather obvious fashion.

"Get out of here man, now way I can talk to that girl." Said Jason, slowly bumping his forehead against his fist.

" Come on Jason, you'll be alright." Said Kimberly, attempting to calm him down.

"Establishing on statistics, I'm positively concur that affection is mostly founded on initial interaction." Said Billy.

"What did he say?" asked Zack, confused.

"He said that first impression usually determines the relationship," said Trini, translating Billy as usual, "We believe in you Jase."

Jason landed his fist on the table, he got up with fresh confidence, and said: "You're right, I'll go talk to her. I'll do it right now."

But then, their communicators beeped. Everyone looked at their wrist watches, and then at their friend, Jason. All Jason could say was: "Oh man…" as the 6 teenagers walked over to a hidden corner in the Juice Bar.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Let's Putty it in Perspective

"We're here Zordon." Said Jason, as he held his communicator up so everyone could here.

"Rangers, your help is needed at the beach, Goldar and several putties are causing mayhem. You must go there immediately. Tommy, your power is draining, you are to remain where you are for now." Said Zordon's voice through the communicator.

"Right, get them guys!" said Tommy, taking a step back.

The five Rangers put their hands behind their backs, as they grabbed a hold of their Power Morpher, and Jason called out: "It's Morphing Time!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-Tooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Almost instantly, five cylinders of colored light landed at the beach. The light faded away, revealing five people in the respective colors. Zack, the Black Ranger. Kimberly, the Pink Ranger. Billy, the Blue Ranger. Trini, the Yellow Ranger. And finally, Jason, the Red Ranger. The protectors of the world, the Earth's first, last, and only line of defense, the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Goldar along with five Putties were busy wrecking havoc around the beach, scaring off people. They didn't pay attention to the Rangers.

"Guys, something's wrong, why would Goldar just attack people on the beach?" asked Billy.

But then, Goldar turned around to look right at the Rangers, and pointed his sword directly over his head, giving some sort of a signal.

"Guys, you better see this!" called Kimberly, pointing her finger to the sky. Everyone looked up, and there it was, Rita's magic wand racing towards Earth. It landed on the beach, creating cracks on the sandy terrain, releasing volcanic steam all over. However, the most surprising thing about it, was that Goldar wasn't the one to grow. The five Putties were the closest to the impact zone, and so, the effect went straight into them. It was the first time ever for the Rangers to encounter giant sized Putties, and they didn't like it.

"Come on guys, let's end this fast!" said Jason, raising his hand up in the air and crying: "We need Dinozord Power, now!"

And so they came: Jason's mighty zord, the Tyrannosaurus, emerged from a volcano pit. Zack's forceful zord, the Mastodon, came from a snowy land. Billy's rough zord, the Triceratops, sped through a desert. Trini's furious zord, the Saber-Tooth Tiger, ran through a jungle. Kimberly's noble zord, the Pterodactyl, took off from a volcano. The five Dinozords arrived quickly to the scene, and the five Rangers leaped into their respective zords.

"Rangers, log on!" called out Jason.

"Zack here, let's get this over with." Said Zack.

"Billy here, all systems functional." said Billy.

"This is Trini, let's rock!" said Trini.

"This is Kim, ready to go." Said Kimberly.

Each of them went on one of the Jumbo Putties. The Mastodon tackled the Putty, making it fall to the ground. The Mastodon then sprayed the Putty with snow, freezing it, and finally tackled it for the second time, this time making it break into pieces. The Saber-Tooth Tiger raced at the closest Putty, and leapt towards hit – fangs first, and slammed into the Putty's neck. The zord landed gracefully on the other side, and turned its tail-mounted cannon to the Putty, and fired a yellow energy beam, decimating the Putty. The Triceratops shot its horns towards its enemy, wrapping chains around the helpless Putty, forcing it to the ground. It then raced towards the Putty, and while nearing it shot blue energy beam from the cannons on its tail, obliterating the Putty. The Pterodactyl soared up, avoiding the Putty that so pointlessly tried to jump up high enough to hit the elusive zord. The zord did a 180 spin, and shot blue energy bolts from its wings. It wasn't enough to destroy the Putty, but the Putty fell into the water, and Putties don't swim well. As soon as it hit the water, the Putty crumbled.

Jason piloted the Tyrannosaurus towards the last remaining Putty. The zord whipped its tail at the Putty, pushing it to the sand. Jason glanced around for a moment, and noticed Goldar standing on a cliff, his sword leaning over his shoulder. But then, Jason saw something worse. Standing next to Goldar, holding a scepter with a golden question mark on it, and wearing a coif only fitted for Egyptian kings, was a face that haunted Jason's dreams for such a long time. The closest Jason ever came to defeat, when he was helpless and alone, was when he fought that thing.

The distraction gave the fallen Putty a chance to attack the Tyrannosaurus. It kicked Jason's zord, which immediately tumbled and rolled on the ground. The excited Putty jumped on the spot, thrilled with its premature victory. It took a large boulder from a nearby mountain, and held it up over its head, ready to strike the fallen Tyrannosaurus, but it was stopped by a conjoint attack of the other zords, who were more than enough to bring the last Putty to an end. The Tyrannosaurus got back on its feet, and Jason took another look at the cliff. But this time, only Goldar stood there.

"Jason! Hey Jase, what's going on?" asked Zack through the communicator.

"Yeah Jason, what happened?" asked Kimberly, sincerely concerned.

Jason slowly regained his senses, and replied: "I think, I know, I just saw King Sphinx."


End file.
